I don’t like sports Sorry to my fellow sports friends who may be reading this article, but I really don’t — maybe it’s my lack of knowledge or lack of care, but I’m a big fan of people running down the court. I don’t really like watching you sweat I’ve never understood the rules of the popular sports on TV.
But when the worlds of K-pop and sports began to intersect, like so many trends in my life, I was suddenly intrigued.
I didn’t know beforehand that the Golden State Warriors would play two preseason games against the Washington Wizards in Japan this week, but they definitely did on Monday. Since then, it has garnered over 400,000 retweets and over 1.4 million likes.
On Thursday, Stephen Curry posted photos of a meeting at a Warriors practice — some I saw on my own Twitter feed and some sent to me by more than one of my sports fanatic friends.
Apparently — Shocker! — A K-POP idol who likes sports. K-pop fans are very enthusiastic about their idol’s hobbies and interests, such as favorite sports, recommended music, and pets. shocking.
Most of the time, when an idol is spotted at a sports game (or even just mentioning something sports-related), tweets and photos of the idol watching and cheering go viral among fans. In fact, I still remember the first time I saw BTS at the (now) Crypto.com Arena in 2018. Suga joked in the ending that Kobe Bryant was at the concert.SUGA was also spotted at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in 2019, with NCT’s Taeyeon, Mark, and Johnny tossing their t-shirts at a Los Angeles Clippers game later that year. was also spotted on the Warriors’ “Dub Hub,” a virtual game-viewing experience that streams live to Chase Center’s video screens.
It’s not uncommon for K-pop idols to make public appearances at sports games. Both NCT 127 and his ENHYPEN threw the first pitch at his LA Dodgers games in 2019 and his 2022 respectively, while P1 Harmony’s Keeho sang the Korean national anthem at his Major League soccer game against LAFC. I sang. Seattle Sounders last year.
Perhaps the most striking example of the intersection of the worlds of K-pop and sports is GOT7’s BamBam and Warriors player Andrew Wiggins. Last January, his BamBam, who also serves as his global ambassador for the Warriors, tweeted a vote in favor of Wiggins being selected as the starter for his 2022 NBA All-Star game. The tweet, which garnered over 40,000 retweets and nearly 71,000 likes, sparked a surge in votes and led to Wiggins’ unexpected choice.
It’s interesting to note the level of engagement these interactions are receiving, both from K-pop fans and sports fans alike. I have little interest in sports, but every time I see a photo or video of my favorite idol interacting with an athlete, my serotonin increases abnormally. Maybe it’s because I’m really happy to meet people and people I follow personally,
Because I love the exposure these conferences bring to people of very different demographics.
But let’s be honest, K-pop fans and sports fans aren’t all that different. Both groups vie for close seats at events, shop for merch from their favorite artists and teams, and form communities with other fans. Although unexpected, I think the relationship between K-pop and sports actually makes a lot of sense.
In fact, this exposure hasn’t gone unrewarded — K-pop fans around the world are beginning to learn and take interest in their favorite idol’s favorite athletes and teams. The only reason is that idols are also fans. .
So, I can’t say I’m a sports fan yet, but maybe I’m thinking of learning a little more about sports. You may have come.
Kacie Yamamoto is a senior writer on Korean pop music. She is also editor-in-chief of the Daily Trojan. Her column “Kacie on K-pop” is published every other Friday.
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